At Christmas time a large number of trees are purchased for display in the home or in schools, or hospitals or offices or the like. In most cases the trees have been cut and thus, they tend to dry out as the Christmas season progresses. A dry tree becomes a potential fire hazard and can be ignited by a spark or by lights which are commonly placed on the tree for decoration.
A tree used for display during the Christmas season can be kept from drying out if its trunk is placed in water. In order to do this, a tree stand has been developed which consists of a watering bowl having a metal ring supported by extensions from the sides of the bowl so that a tree, which has its trunk inserted into the ring, can be held in a vertical position.
There are, however, several disadvantages to the use of the above described tree stand. The diameter of the metal ring limits the size of the tree trunk which can be accommodated. (Trees with trunk diameters bigger than the ring diameter will not fit.) Conversely, trees with trunk diameters which are much smaller than the ring diameter may not have the desired degree of stability and may not stand vertically. Further, it is usually necessary to cut off all of the tree branches below the ring so that the tree can be inserted into the ring. Cutting branches from the tree detracts from its beauty.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,820,749 describes a tree stand that was developed to overcome the aforementioned difficulties associated with tree stands that include metal ring structures. The tree stand described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,820,749 includes a container that has a center portion which registers with the tree trunk when the tree is mounted in the container. The center portion is made of a material that can be penetrated by nails, but which, after penetration, reseals around the nails to prevent water leakage.
For example, in one embodiment, the sealant is on the outside of the container at the center of its bottom and opposite the location where the tree trunk abutts the inside of the container. A pair of crossed wooden members or boards are placed into position below the container with the intersection of the crossed members in registry with the sealant. A number of long nails are then hammered through the crossed members, through the sealant, and thence through the base of the container into the trunk of the tree. The combination can then be placed in an upright position with the supporting members holding the tree erect. The sealant operates to close the openings in the base of the container around the nail holes so that water that is placed into the container to keep the tree moist does not leak out. As a result, the tree is maintained in a vertical position while water is being absorbed by the tree.
There is, however, a need in the art for an improved tree stand container made in its entirety of a polymeric composition that will seal around a nail regardless of the location of the nail in the container.